Semi‐automated reconstruction of inflammatory infiltration in infectious keratitis

Abstract

PurposeTo perform reconstruction of inflammatory cells infiltration in infectious keratitis.MethodsFirst we performed in vivo confocal microscopy (HRT III, Rostock Cornea Module) in 118 patients diagnosed for the infectious keratitis (45 viral, 40 bacterial, 23 fungal, 10 amoebal). Inflammatory cytology has been analyzed according to morphology and size of cells forming infiltration. Microscopic scans were then processed with stereological software (MicroBrightField Inc, VT, USA) to track inflammatory cells within scans. Representative reconstructions of inflammatory cells infiltration has been created for each etiology of keratitis based on previous characterization of cells.ResultsOverall inflammatory cells densities showed no specificity for keratitis etiology, however there was clearly different participation of morphological types of cells depended on keratitis etiology. Leukocyte‐like, round cells represented approximately 4.4% of inflammatory cells in viral, 91.2% in bacterial, 50.4% in fungal and 54.4% in amoebal keratitis. Rest of cells were represented by different forms of dendritic cells, which were possible to track in stereology.ConclusionsIn vivo analysis of corneal epithelial cytology provides useful information about keratitis etiology. Reconstruction of inflammatory cells infiltration can help to create diagnostic algorithm for infectious keratitis diagnosis.